Rooted in the 1980s hardcore punk scene, Butthole Surfers quickly became known for their chaotic and disturbing live shows, black comedy, a sound that incorporates elements of psychedelia, noise, punk rockand, later, electronica, as well as their use of sound manipulation and tape editing.[3][4] The Buttholes have a well-reported appetite for recreational drugs, an evident influence on their sound.[5]

Butthole Surfers formed at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas during the late 1970s, when studentsGibson "Gibby" Haynes, and Paul Leary Walthall (later just Paul Leary) met for the first time. Though it was their overall strangeness and shared taste in non-mainstream music that caused them to become friends, both appeared to be headed for very conventional careers. Haynes, as captain of Trinity's basketball team, as well as the school's "Accountant of the Year", soon graduated to a position with a respected Texas accounting firm, while Leary remained in college working on his MBA degree.[8]

In 1981, Haynes and Leary published the magazine Strange V.D., which featured photos of abnormal medical ailments, coupled with fictitious, humorous explanations for the diseases.[9] After being caught with one of these pictures at work, Haynes left the accounting firm and moved to Southern California. Leary, at the time one semester shy of his degree, dropped out of college and followed Haynes. After a brief period spent selling homemade clothes and linens emblazoned with Lee Harvey Oswald's image, the pair returned to San Antonio, and launched the band that would eventually become the Butthole Surfers.[10]

Haynes and Leary played their debut show at a San Antonio night club, The Bonham Exchange, in 1981; at that time they had not yet settled on the band name "Butthole Surfers". By 1982, the band were backed by the sibling rhythm section composed of bassist Quinn Mathews and his brother, drummer Scott Mathews. The band did not gain a following in San Antonio, and purchased a van to return to California later that summer.[9][10]

During a brief concert at the Tool and Die club in San Francisco, Dead Kennedys frontman and Alternative Tentacles overseer Jello Biafra witnessed their performance and became a fervent fan.[11] Biafra invited the group to open for the Dead Kennedys and T.S.O.L. at the Whisky a Go Go in Los Angeles, and soon made an offer that would launch their recording career: if they could get someone to lend them studiotime, Alternative Tentacles would reimburse the studio when the album was complete. The band then returned to San Antonio to record at BOSS Studios (a.k.a. Bob O'Neill's Sound Studios, a.k.a. the Boss).[9] However, the Mathews brothers did not enter the studio with Haynes and Leary; the two had quit following a physical altercation between Scott Mathews and Haynes. The bass position was taken over by Bill Jolly, who would play on the Surfers' next two releases, and a number of drummers participated. The last of these, King Coffey (born Jeffrey Coffey), is still with the band to this day.[12]

Released on Alternative Tentacles in July 1983, the resulting EP, Butthole Surfers (also known as Brown Reason to Live and Pee Pee the Sailor), offered songs with provocatively absurd titles like "The Shah Sleeps in Lee Harvey's Grave" and "Bar-B-Q Pope", alternately sung by Haynes and Leary. (Haynes would become the band's primary singer by the time of their first LP.) The album cover, like the many bizarre illustrations that would accompany Surfers' succeeding work, was designed by the band itself.[13]Teeming with humor, Butthole Surfers laid the foundation for what was to come.[3] It influenced at least one future superstar in Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain, who listed it as one of his top 10 favorite albums in his Journals.[14] Cobain later went on to list the album "Pee Pee the Sailor" by the Butthole Surfers as one of the top 50 most influential albums for Nirvana's sound.[15] Cobain would later meet his wife,Courtney Love of Hole, at a Butthole Surfers/L7 concert in 1991.[16]

Soon after the release of Butthole Surfers, the band recruited a second drummer, Teresa Nervosa (born Teresa Taylor), who had played with Coffey in a number of high schoolmarching bands in the Texas' Fort Worth and Austin areas.[17][18] She and Coffey would drum in unison on separate, stand-up kits, adding to the spectacle of Surfers' ever-evolving stage show. Though Nervosa and Coffey repeatedly referred to themselves, and were referred to, as siblings, it has since been revealed that the two only presented themselves as such due to their similar appearances, and are not actually related.[17][19][20][21] With her arrival, the band's core "classic lineup"—Haynes, Leary, Coffey, and Nervosa—was in place. With the exception of a number of different bass players and Nervosa's brief sabbatical from late 1985 to 1986, it remained largely unchanged until her final departure in 1989.[22] In 2008, she returned to the band—the band's website announced 2009 tour dates including "Teresa Taylor".[23]

In September 1984, Butthole Surfers issued a second EP on Alternative Tentacles, Live PCPPEP. Primarily featuring live performances of songs from their debut, it prompted some critics and fans to joke that they had released the same album twice.[3] The band had already returned to BOSS Studios to record enough material for a full-length album months before Live PCPPEP's release. (Jolly left shortly after these sessions, but did perform on the live EP). Moreover, they had started a second album at the same studio. Both were originally offered to Alternative Tentacles, with Psychic... Powerless... Another Man's Sac arriving first.[24]

Before either album could be released, though, Alternative Tentacles had to acquire the master tapes from Bob O'Neill, BOSS Studios' namesake and owner. He refused to release them until he'd been reimbursed for the sessions, and Alternative Tentacles couldn't immediately afford to pay. After waiting months, the band issued Live PCPPEP out of financial desperation, and O'Neill was preparing to release Psychic... on his own Ward 9 label to recoup his expenses.[25]

With some members working as dishwashers, the group was apparently not thrilled with the album being released on Ward 9. Terry Tolkin, a friend and their east coast booking agent, signed the band to Corey Rusk's then-nascent Touch and Go Records in Detroit. Psychic... Powerless... Another Man's Sac was released in 1984.[24][26][27] Building on their first EP, the Surfers made psychedelia a much bigger part of their sound on this release, which made full use of the tape editing, non-traditional instrumentation, and sound modulation that came to define their studio recordings.[3]

Just before Psychic...'s debut, and with new bassist Terence Smart in tow (the first of many through 1986), the band commenced their first nationwide tour. It was on this outing that they truly established a national presence, starting at Touch and Go's early headquarters in Detroit before heading to New York City, where they impressed members of Sonic Youth, as well as Shockabilly (and future Butthole Surfers) bassist Kramer. They then crisscrossed the country for several months, including a show in Seattle, that made a fan of future Soundgarden guitarist Kim Thayil. While in San Francisco at the end of the tour, and without a place to live, the band collectively decided to move to Winterville (a small town outside Athens, Georgia), where they admittedly made a hobby of stalking members of R.E.M.. They would leave a van parked in front of Michael Stipes' house painted on the side "Michael Stipe/Despite the Hype/I'd Love to Suck/Your Big Long Pipe"[28][29] Smart quit after falling in love with a friend of the band, and Trevor Malcolm, a young Canadian musician recommended by Touch and Go, replaced him on bass.[30]

Word was spreading about the band's bizarre stage show by the time they hit the road again, resulting in ever-larger audiences at their concerts.[27] Not long after Malcolm's arrival, the Surfers recorded their act for posterity by filming two concerts at Detroit's Traxx club. Some of this footage was eventually packaged as Blind Eye Sees All, their only official video release to date. They purchased their first 8-track recorder at this time, and used it to record two songs later used on the A-side of Cream Corn from the Socket of Davis.[24]

Reportedly unhappy with life in the band, Malcolm quit in mid-1985.[31] A friend of the band's from Athens, Juan Molina, was brought in for a brief U.S. tour, but was not interested in becoming a full-time member.[24] Without a permanent bassist and a quickly approaching European tour looming—the band's first—they contacted Kramer, who quickly agreed to join.[31] Meanwhile, their second LP, which had been submitted to Alternative Tentacles as Rembrandt Pussy Horse, was still in limbo. The reasons for Alternative Tentacles' actions are unclear, but it is known that the label delayed a decision for about a year before ultimately refusing to publish it.[32] While waiting, the band released the four-song Cream Corn from the Socket of Davis EP on Touch and Go in late 1985. Once Alternative Tentacles finally declined, the group went back into the studio to record two new tracks to replace "To Parter" and "Tornadoes", which were originally intended for Rembrandt... before appearing on the Cream Corn... EP's B-side.[24]

Following the European tour, the Surfers experienced more upheaval when Nervosa left around Christmas 1985, as she was tired of the living conditions associated with constant touring and had a desire to be with family.[33] She was replaced by another female drummer, Kytha Gernatt, who was dubbed Cabbage Gomez, Jr. in press soon after joining the band.[34] Cabbage had previously performed with Kathleen Lynch (a.k.a. Kathleen, a.k.a. Ta-Da the Shit Lady) in the band Easturn Stars; Lynch gained fame as the Butthole Surfers infamous naked dancer from 1986 to 1989. Kramer also left during this period and was replaced by Jeff Pinkus, who gave the band's bass position its longest period of stability by staying until 1994.[35]

Their second LP was finally issued as Rembrandt Pussyhorse on Touch and Go in April 1986. Coming out some two years after the original sessions, it featured a different mix and song selection than Alternative Tentacles' unreleased version.[32] Best known for its minimalist reworking of The Guess Who's "American Woman", it is one of the most experimental albums in the Surfers' heavily experimental career.[17] Following a particularly out-of-control tour, even by Butthole Surfers standards, the band semi-settled in Austin, Texas in the summer of 1986. Nervosa rejoined them (Cabbage having been fired months earlier), and they went to work on crafting their first home studio in a rental house on the outskirts of town. Before long, they started a leisurely recording session for their third full-length project.[36]Released in March 1987, Locust Abortion Technician is one of the heaviest Butthole Surfers albums, and it is often considered their finest to date.[37] Harnessing aspects of punk, heavy metal, and psychedelia, its unique sound produced a number of grinding, slower-paced songs, arguably making it an early precursor of grunge.[17]

Unaired pilot for documentary series on the 2002 Heavyweight Butt Rock Champs David Lee Roth and Sammy Hagar.

Unaired pilot for documentary series on the 2002 Heavyweight Champs of Rock and Roll tour featuring former Van Halen frontmen Sammy Hagar and David Lee Roth. Includes exclusive behind-the-scenes footage of one of the most unlikely concert pairings in rock history. Creators and Executive Producers - Mark Banker, Cris Abrego and Rick Telles.

Grindcore freaks: Discordance Axis caught live and with the video tape utterly destroyed!

"The original official Discordance Axis video, shot and edited by Craig Schober. I still remember seeing the video tape spooled throughout the entire downstairs of Craig's house while he ran magnets over and burned the tape while simultaneously kicking the VCR and futzing with the cables to make the signal worse."

Evans was bornRobert J. Shaperain New York City, New York, the son of Florence, a housewife who came from a wealthy family, and Archie Shapera, a dentist inHarlem.[1]He grew up on New York City's Upper West Side during the 1930s, where he was better off than most people living during theGreat Depression. In his early years, he did promotional work for Evan-Picone, afashioncompany founded by his brotherCharles, in addition to doingvoice workon radio shows.Early life and acting career[edit source | editbeta]

Evans continues to produce, although the last film that he produced was released in 2003. He also produced and provided the voice for his eponymous character in the animated series Kid Notorious. Evans currently hosts theSirius Satellite Radio show In Bed with Robert Evans.

Evans is currently in development on a film about the life of iconic auto executive John DeLorean. Brett Ratner is attached to direct and James Toback is currently writing the screenplay.[3] In addition, an HBO miniseries titledThe Devil and Sidney Korshak is being developed with writer Art Monterastelli adapting.[4]

Evans has been married seven times but none of his marriages have lasted more than three years. His first was to Sharon Hugueny (1961–1962). After his first divorce came Camilla Sparv (1964–1967), Ali MacGraw (1969–1973), Phyllis George (1977–1978), Catherine Oxenberg (1998),[5] Leslie Ann Woodward (2002–2004), and Victoria White (2005–2006). Evans' marriage to Oxenberg was annulled after nine days.[6] He married White in Mexico on August 2005 shortly after his 75th birthday. She filed for divorce on June 16, 2006, citing irreconcilable differences.[7] In the film adaptation of the autobiography The Kid Stays in the Picture, only Ali MacGraw is discussed, and their relationship is discussed at length. Evans has one son, Josh Evans, also a producer, from his marriage to MacGraw.[5]

Joe Eszterhas repeatedly describes his friend, Evans, as "the devil" in his book, Hollywood Animal, and says that "all lies ever told anywhere about Robert Evans are true." His autobiography also goes into detail about a cocaine addiction that plagued Evans in the 1980s.

Meredith Rhule, his personal in-home movie projectionist, indicates that Evans knows how to impress potential movie backers. "I have seen almost every movie star, top models, heads of studios and heads of states walk into his home. Bob Evans is the Godfather of Hollywood."

Orson Welles' unfinished final film, The Other Side of the Wind (1970–6), a scathing satire on 1970s Hollywood, has a young studio boss "Max David" played by Geoffrey Land, who Welles admitted was a spoof of Evans.[8]While the film as a whole has never been released, certain scenes have, and numerous well-known internet video sites carry a scene of Land's performance, in which he is skeptically watching an unfinished arthouse film.

In the 1997 movie Wag the Dog, a Washington, D.C.spin doctor distracts the electorate from a U.S. presidential sex scandal by hiring a Hollywood producer played by Dustin Hoffman. Hoffman's character was based directly upon Robert Evans. Hoffman emulated Evans' work habits, mannerisms, quirks, clothing style, hairstyle, and his large square-framed eyeglasses. The real Evans is said to have declared, "I'm magnificent in this film!"[9]

Bob Ryan, a recurring character in the HBO series Entourage is based on Evans. The character, portrayed by Martin Landau, was a successful movie producer in the 1970s who now chafes at no longer being considered a major Hollywood player. While Evans reportedly declined an offer to play the part himself, he did agree to allow his home to be used in the show as Bob Ryan's home.

Evans similarly served as the inspiration for a Mr. Show sketch, in which Bob Odenkirk portrays God recording his memoirs, dressed as and speaking like Evans. Odenkirk also attributes Evans as his primary influence on his portrayal of lawyer Saul Goodman in Breaking Bad.[10]

Estonian short animation film from 1983 depicting "Hell"

Estonian animation film by Rein Raamat. Tallinnfilm, 1983. The film brings to life in one nightmarish vision three detailed engravings from the early 30s created by Estonian artist Eduard Viiralt: "The Preacher", "Cabaret" and "Hell".

cowpunk film by Penelope Spheris starring Jon Cryer and Daniel Roebuck. Features a performance by The Vandals and cameos by Flea and Lee Ving

Plot

Two punks, or "dudes", (Jon Cryer and Daniel Roebuck), from the big city are traveling across the country in a Volkswagen bug. They try to embrace the western way when they are forced to take revenge against a gang of lowly rednecks for killing their friend. Along the way, they get help from a young woman who runs a wrecking service.[1]